After Shang Ci stuffed candy into her hand for the third time, Wen Qianshu finally couldn’t take it anymore. “What on earth is going on?”
Shang Ci: “The doctor gave me extra candy.”
Wen Qianshu crossed her arms, a faint, ambiguous smile on her face.
Shang Ci: “Just eat it. From now on, your big brothers will look out for you.”
Wen Qianshu: “?”
Shang Ci didn’t call her “little lunatic” anymore; on the contrary, his tone was gentle.
However, Wen Qianshu laughed, finding it very amusing. “Captain Shang, are you possessed by Gao Bai? It’s not worth it, that’s too scary.”
Shang Ci: “…”
Gao Bai sat in the driver’s seat, ignoring them.
Jiang Yao couldn’t listen anymore either and was about to tell Shang Ci to stop, but Lou Jiu shot her a cold glance and interrupted, “Let’s go.”
Shang Ci: “Anyway, if you need anything, just tell your Sister Lou—”
Lou Jiu closed the car door.
Wen Qianshu was lost in thought.
But there was one thing she couldn’t figure out: “2333, why is Lou Jiu hostile towards Jiang Yao?”
This time, they hadn’t clashed, have they?
2333: “Heh, how would I know.”
Wen Qianshu: “True.”
2333: “…”
After everyone got into the car one by one, Gao Bai started driving. Lou Jiu sat on the floor with her legs bent, rummaging through a bulging bag.
Wen Qianshu thought for a moment, then leaned over and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong, sister?”
Lou Jiu’s hands didn’t stop moving as she said, “I’ll tell you when we get back.”
“Oh—” Wen Qianshu said, “Did Jiang Yao tell you what happened to my parents?”
Lou Jiu froze.
Only then did Wen Qianshu realize she was assembling a gun. That slight pause had almost made her assemble it incorrectly. Lou Jiu looked up. Wen Qianshu shrugged and asked, “So, we’ll talk when we get back?”
Lou Jiu was still looking at her.
Wen Qianshu had no choice but to explain: “She started acting strange the moment she saw my face, and I’ve never met her before. I figured she must recognize my parents, or maybe she saw them in D District?”
2333 marveled.
2333 felt that Wen Qianshu’s talent for lying could fill a book.
Lou Jiu was silent for a moment, then continued assembling the gun. After she adjusted the scope and finished, she looked at Wen Qianshu. Suddenly, with a “thump,” the vehicle ran over something hard.
Lou Jiu: “What was that?”
Gao Bai: “Seems like we ran over something.”
That was a completely useless statement. Wen Qianshu knew it was inconvenient for him to look, so she had already stuck her head out. She saw a zombie on the ground, wearing the black combat uniform of a search team, lying sideways. Its hollow eyes stared at them, its mouth twisted into a strange smile.
On a distant mountain, someone was holding binoculars, waiting to see this very scene. Seeing Wen Qianshu stick her head out, they laughed, “Oh? The gift was delivered to the wrong person—”
The next second, Wen Qianshu turned her cheek halfway, revealing a smile identical to the zombie’s on the road. Her imitation was so perfect that if ghosts existed, she would look completely possessed.
The person with the binoculars was a little surprised and stared at her until she pulled her head back in, then suddenly laughed as well. That person licked their lips and asked, “How come I didn’t know Yaoyao had someone like this by her side?”
Naturally, no one beside them answered. The person didn’t mind, simply lowering the binoculars and saying, “Alright, this is just an appetizer. It doesn’t matter if it was sent to the wrong person.”
“As long as the main course arrives.”
After speaking, the person looked at the zombie beside them. It was a thin, small man with a dull gaze, who didn’t speak.
The person smiled and said softly, “Your daughter is so afraid of me. I told her to bring one, and she obediently brought only one. She didn’t bring you, just her mother. Tell me, do you think she can escape?”
The man was just a low-level zombie and didn’t answer at all.
The other person commanded gently, “Come here, hold out your hand.”
The man held out his hand, and the other person took a syringe and injected it into his body. “I don’t think she can get out. Why don’t you go over and keep them company?”
“A family should be together, after all.”
The man’s lifeless eyes twitched once, and soon he stopped breathing and fell to the ground.
The person beside him was still smiling, looking down at him and saying in a warm voice, “Yaoyao’s new gift. I hope they have fun unwrapping it.”
Wen Qianshu sat back down. 2333 was confused: “What are you doing?”
It had thought Wen Qianshu would just laugh it off and move on, but unexpectedly, Wen Qianshu actually explained, “Helping Jiang Yao share some of the pressure.”
2333: “What do you mean?”
Wen Qianshu: “Literally what I said.”
She raised a finger and explained patiently, “Her psychological pressure is too great. If the person trying to trip her up is willing to focus some attention on me, she’ll have an easier time.”
2333: “What about you?”
Wen Qianshu: “Yo, 2333, are you concerned about me?”
She grinned. “No need. If I die, there’s always the next world.”
2333: “…”
2333 knew it. Wen Qianshu was detestable like this. She could always accurately perceive others’ emotions and then point them out bluntly, making people dislike her.
Wen Qianshu was actually different from anyone 2333 had handled before. She was too perceptive, yet she cared about too few things.
The passage of time in the mortal world seemed like a gentle breeze on a sunny day, brushing past her and leaving no trace.
For three whole worlds, she seemed to remember neither those who were good to her nor those who were not.
And yet her memory was clearly so good.
2333 suddenly called out to her: “Wen Qianshu.”
Wen Qianshu: “Hm?”
She was tilting her head, resting her chin on one hand, looking out the car window.
The wind lifted the stray hairs on her forehead, lingering over her eyes.
Qin Shu’s eyes were very beautiful, the kind of beauty steeped in innocence and naivety, tinged with childishness. But 2333 knew that Wen Qianshu’s own eyes were even more beautiful—they were a pair of indescribable, silent eyes, with very dark pupils, like a lonely sea, or rich ink.
When she looked at people, she was always smiling, as if very interested, but in reality, her gaze wasn’t very focused. It would always rove around imperceptibly. The moment those inky pupils moved, it was as if everything sank into her eyes and disappeared.
2333 stared at her, and for a moment, as if possessed, it asked, “Do you have a heart?”
Wen Qianshu: “?”
“Speak properly, you’re giving me goosebumps.”
2333: “…”
Wen Qianshu: “Don’t you feel awkward asking something like that?”
2333: “…”
2333 was about to go crazy, or perhaps it already had. Otherwise, why would it try to have a heart-to-heart with Wen Qianshu?
2333 was angry again, all on its own.
On the other side, Lou Jiu had already set up her sniper rifle and gotten into position.
The journey was calm and uneventful. Apart from that one zombie run over by the car, nothing else was seen. But this very tranquility was all the more terrifying, like the calm before a storm.
Lou Jiu’s hands were very steady. She lowered her body, her eye against the scope.
Gao Bai: “We’re almost there.”
Lou Jiu: “Mm.”
They were about to meet the rendezvous party. Shang Ci figured that if those people were going to make a move, it would probably be in this stretch. He arranged for Jiang Yao to stay in the car while he went out as bait, with Lou Jiu lying in ambush to snipe.
Finally, they drove into a rescue stop.
Shang Ci got out of the car first and said to the person at the stop, “Eh? Lao Li, why are you here?”
Team 2’s Captain Li Shan saw him, let out a sigh of relief, and said with a smile, “Don’t even mention it. I almost thought you were dead. I was so scared I rushed over overnight.”
Shang Ci: “That nice of you?”
Captain Li: “Of course! I was afraid someone else would beat me to it and poach your team doctor.”
Shang Ci laughed heartily and gave him a playful kick. “Get lost.”
Li Shan: “Fine, I’ll get lost. I’ll get lost over to Doctor Lou for a chat. Our team just got some new benefits approved, I’ll go ask if she wants any.”
While he said this, he directed his team members to settle the survivors. The car behind them also opened its doors and let people out.
Soon, only Lou Jiu and the others were left.
Wen Qianshu: “There’s someone in those ruins.”
Lou Jiu was startled and immediately aimed in the direction she pointed. Sure enough, at the top of the ruins, a person’s head peeked out slightly before quickly retracting. It was too far to tell if it was a zombie or a human.
Lou Jiu didn’t move, just stared intently, waiting for the person to show their head again. Just then, Wen Qianshu suddenly lunged at her, shielding her head with an arm and forcefully rolling with her to the side.
With a soft “thwip,” a bullet hit the spot where Lou Jiu had been.
Lou Jiu was in disbelief. She shot up and looked, only to see Gao Bai raising a pistol, aiming right at her.
The next second, three people moved at once.
Wen Qianshu ducked down, grabbed the bag Lou Jiu had brought, and with a swing, swept the handgun and all the machinery inside the bag out of the vehicle.
Lou Jiu, on the other hand, rushed forward, delivering a flying kick that knocked Gao Bai’s pistol aside.
This was the team’s newest silenced handgun. The bullet practically grazed her cheek as it flew past.
Lou Jiu closed in rapidly, grabbing his arm and delivering a vicious elbow strike to the side of his face. The blow sent Gao Bai crashing into the chair and tumbling to the floor. She stomped her foot firmly on his wrist, pulled out the gun holstered on her thigh, released the safety, aimed it at the spot between his eyebrows, and warned, “Gao Bai!”
Gao Bai looked up at her, but his face was devoid of emotion, his eyes numb and vacant.
Lou Jiu immediately realized something was wrong, but Gao Bai’s free hand shot up and grabbed her gun.
In that instant, facing her teammate’s face, Lou Jiu couldn’t pull the trigger.
But victory and defeat are decided in an instant.
Gao Bai yanked the gun away, pulling Lou Jiu towards him. He let go of his own gun with his other hand and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up and slamming her hard onto the ground. A sharp pain shot through Lou Jiu’s back. She let out a muffled grunt, her vision going dark. But she still took the opportunity to raise her leg and kick him in the groin. It was a powerful kick, yet Gao Bai seemed to feel nothing, continuing to choke her with all his strength.
Lou Jiu was being choked, unable to breathe. She clawed desperately at Gao Bai’s hands, trying to pull them away, but Gao Bai raised the pistol he had snatched from her and pointed it at Wen Qianshu. “You, be obedient.”
“Or you’ll end up like her.”
The car was dead silent. Lou Jiu’s face was turning blue. Wen Qianshu stared at the dark muzzle of the gun, then shifted her gaze to Gao Bai.
Wen Qianshu smiled. “Don’t hesitate. If you’re going to kill someone, kill me. She’s a member of the search team. Using her as a hostage is more reliable.”
Lou Jiu’s eyes widened, but she was nearly suffocating and couldn’t speak. The next second, the pressure on her neck loosened—Gao Bai had listened. But Lou Jiu immediately lifted her hips, raised her legs, locked them around Gao Bai’s waist, and flipped him over, pinning him hard to the ground.
Gao Bai paid no mind, punching her in the abdomen and knocking her off. Lou Jiu gasped in pain, but before she could even catch her breath, Wen Qianshu pulled her from behind, shoved a gun into her hand, and pushed her out the car window.
One moment, Li Shan was telling Shang Ci how he envied Team 5’s doctor; the next, he heard something hit the ground, followed by the faint sounds of a fight. The two immediately sensed something was wrong and ran towards the car, only to see Team 5’s doctor tumbling out of the window, landing in a pile of shattered glass. She rolled over, ignoring the blood on her, and jumped up to rush back to the car, but then she stopped.
Shang Ci’s face changed drastically. He saw the car door open, and Gao Bai emerged, pressing a gun to Wen Qianshu’s temple and pulling her out.
The little lunatic truly was a lunatic, able to smile even in this situation. “Don’t worry, he won’t kill me.”
As she said that, Gao Bai pressed the gun even tighter.
The little lunatic said slowly, “Oh, looks like he won’t kill me for now.”
Shang Ci: “…”
Lou Jiu: “Captain.”
She stared at Gao Bai’s gun. “That little zombie.”
Shang Ci understood.
He felt his heart sink as if it would fall right out of his body.
Gao Bai had been bitten.
He had been bitten by that little zombie.
It must have happened when he and Jiang Yao split up to investigate.
Gao Bai had always been soft-hearted. He would never be on guard against a child.
Wen Qianshu truly hadn’t expected this either.
The little zombie’s protectiveness of its mother hadn’t seemed fake, and Gao Bai had been with Jiang Yao the whole time. Plus, when she saw that glass bottle, her mind was focused on Jiang Yao. She never would have guessed that in the brief moment Gao Bai was out of sight, something so major had happened.
In the original book, Jiang Yao only had a falling out with Team 5, but nothing happened at the hospital. It seemed that in the original world line, the entire Team 5 was in chaos, and the little zombie successfully infiltrated the base.
No wonder Jiang Yao couldn’t make a move—in the original world line, just how many people had been silently infected like this?
“It’s young, the dose of Divine Light in its body isn’t high. It can only precisely control one zombie, no more…”
The one the little zombie was precisely controlling wasn’t its mother, but Gao Bai—
That’s why Gao Bai let the zombies in, and why he became more and more silent afterward.
He had already lost his “Gao Bai” consciousness and was now under the little zombie’s control.
But while the little zombie could give him commands, it couldn’t completely imitate his behavior and intentions, so it could only make him speak less.
Shang Ci gritted his teeth. Li Shan also saw that something was wrong. He looked at the young girl held hostage by Gao Bai, was silent for a moment, then moved his fingers behind his back, making a hand signal.
His team member was about to ignore the hostage’s life and circle around to flank them, but Lou Jiu, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, spoke up: “Give it to him.”
“They’re monitoring this place,” Lou Jiu said. “Just give it to him.”
She was bleeding so much, yet no zombies had come over. It was clear someone outside was keeping them in check.
Shang Ci dragged a suitcase out from behind the car, unzipped it, and opened it. Lying inside was the little zombie.
Gao Bai: “Untie it.”
Shang Ci undid the restraints on the little zombie. Before he could make another move, Lou Jiu had already raised her gun and pointed it at the little zombie. “Exchange.”
The atmosphere froze. The little zombie’s expression was extremely ugly—it wasn’t afraid of gunshot wounds, but a shot to the head would still be fatal. On the other hand, Wen Qianshu, who was in the most dangerous situation and could be killed by a shot anywhere, smiled and said, “She couldn’t bring herself to shoot Gao Bai, but it might not be the same for you.”
She even raised a hand to adjust her own restraint device, her words carrying a hidden meaning: “After all, there’s a difference between who’s close and who’s not.”
The little zombie’s face was dark. It was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking about what to say. But before it could speak, Lou Jiu gave Wen Qianshu a deep look and added, “Give it its mother too.”
Li Shan frowned. Although the other zombie was just an ordinary low-level one and wasn’t much of a threat, giving it away like this was a bit too—
He looked at the young girl being held hostage and wondered, Could this be some relative of Doctor Lou’s?
Shang Ci, however, understood. He swiftly pulled out another case, opened it, and released the large zombie as well, untying its hands and feet. The zombie was dazed. It almost immediately smelled the scent of Lou Jiu’s blood and wanted to rush over, but it heard the little zombie say, “Come with me.”
The large zombie was unwilling, its eyes turning red as it stared at Lou Jiu, but it could only be forcefully commanded by the little zombie to walk to its side.
The little zombie: “Alright, exchange.”
After speaking, the little zombie directed it, having the large zombie get into the car first.
Gao Bai, meanwhile, dragged Wen Qianshu to the front of the car, released her, but kept the gun pointed at her.
After being released, Wen Qianshu wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She actually squatted down and picked up a piece of broken glass from the ground. As she passed the little zombie, it clearly didn’t care, sneering, “You think you can deal with me with that thing?”
Wen Qianshu thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “Yeah.”
The little zombie’s lips curled into a mocking smile as it looked at Wen Qianshu. Its face was still that of a child, making its childlike innocence seem all the more cruel. After it got into the car, Gao Bai immediately jumped into the driver’s seat, yanked the steering wheel, and was about to reverse away. The little zombie sat inside, concealing itself, a triumphant smile on its face, when it suddenly caught the scent of blood.
Wen Qianshu smiled too, but she acted immediately, using the broken glass to slice vertically into her own flesh.
The scent of fresh blood wafted out—a fatal temptation for zombies.
The little zombie’s eyes widened. It turned around almost instantly to restrain its mother.
But it was too late—it was indeed young, and controlling Gao Bai to drive was already a strain. How could it possibly suppress a zombie driven into a frenzy by blood?
The little zombie: “No!”
The large zombie eagerly stuck its head out, drool dripping from its mouth.
At almost the same instant, a bullet pierced its skull, knocking it over and out of the car.
The little zombie felt a heart-wrenching pain, its mind went blank. It subconsciously looked up, reaching out for its mother. Seeing the car about to run her over, it couldn’t stop itself from making Gao Bai stop for a split second, hitting the brakes.
In just that instant, Lou Jiu’s gun was already aimed.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The little zombie didn’t even have time to turn its head, only catching a glimpse in its peripheral vision of the other’s cold, metal restraint device. A pair of light-colored eyes were visible through the device.
Those amber-like pupils were now as cold as ice, filled with naked killing intent.
The bullet cut through the air, and then everything before its eyes vanished.
Author’s Notes:
I’m the real mother (author)! Gao Bai can still be saved, believe me!
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
